India, Sept. 27 -- The Indo-Gangetic plains, with their intricate web of rivers and the accompanying seasonal floods during monsoons, became a fertile ground for an essential activity in welfare - bridge construction, which was carried out by various medieval regimes that ruled the region. Among the notable feats of engineering from this era is the Shahi Pul, which spans the Gomti river in Jaunpur. This bridge, crafted by Afghan architect Afzal Ali, was built in 1564 under the direction of Munim Khan, a general in the court of the Mughal emperor Akbar. Constructed of sturdy stone masonry, the original design featured 10 majestic arches, with five additional arches added in later years. The piers of the bridge were adorned with domed kiosks, or chhatris, which initially served as shelters for travellers and later evolved to accommodate small shops. The Nawabs and their courtiers took active interest in the building of bridges over rivers and streams, which not only helped common people in moving from place to place, but also facilitated quick movement of troops during military campaigns. Out of 25 such bridges, only about four were actually commissioned by the Nawabs, the rest being built by noblemen of the Nawabi court, including Hakim Mehdi, Tikait Rai, Jhau Lal, Almas Ali Khan, Ghulam Hussain and Jwala Prasad. Raja Nawal Rai, a courtier of Safdar Jang, is credited for the Nawabi bridge over river Sai in Mohaan, as well as initiating the Stone Bridge at Lucknow, which would later be known as 'Asaf-ud-Daula's Stone Bridge' - as it was completed during the latter's tenure. The Sai bridge, which is extant today, and has been in use for almost three centuries now, is a robust structure made of bricks, masonry and stone; it has a long causeway with a slight gradient, being supported by 15 pointed Islamic-style arches and abutting piers. Octagonal, arched pavilions with flat roofs, and stairs leading to the river bank, are situated on both ends of the bridge, for the benefit of travellers. The medieval-era Stone Bridge over the Gomti, existed between present day Hardinge and Daliganj bridges. It was not made of stone but of solid masonry, being paved with stone, having 13 arches, with the tallest arch in the middle, making the approach to the bridge quite steep. This 'hog-back' structure allowed boats to traverse from underneath the central arch; the passageway of the bridge was 40 feet wide, which permitted rows of shops on the side. The bridge offered connectivity to Sitapur, from near the Machhi Bhawan. It was partially demolished by the British in June 1857, to prevent to-and-fro movement of freedom fighters, repaired and restored after the British regained control over the city in 1858 and then finally demolished in 1911, to make way for the Hardinge Bridge. The bridge over the Behta river near Malihabad and the one over the Nagawa stream, near Kanpur, were commissioned by Tikait Rai, during the reign of Asaf-ud-Daula. The bridges were architecturally similar, which included a temple on a site contiguous to the bridges. Both the bridges had five pointed arches and causeways with gentle gradients, terminating in pavilions decorated with the usual Nawabi-style stucco. Almas Ali, a powerful nobleman, during the times of Asaf-ud-Daula is credited for commissioning a stylish bridge on Sai river, meant to connect Rae Bareli with Dalmau. The now-derelict bridge seems to have at least 10-11 spans with true arches, but due to collapse, some of the spans were covered with sand and earth. Like the Behta and Nagawa bridges, this too had a pair of Nawabi-style minarets, only one of which later survived. Other Nawabi-era, less significant bridges which survive till date in Lucknow include the Dhania Mehri Ka Pul in present day Rajajipuram area, Jhau Lal Ka Pul, Ghulam Hussain Pul and the Naka Hindola or Charbagh Bridge. Dhania was 'daroga' or superintendent of the female attendants in the establishment of Nasir-ud-Din Haider. Jhau Lal had held several important posts under Asaf-ud-Daula, before being banished at the behest of the British. The bridge and Imambada attributed to him are still extant in the Maulviganj area of old Lucknow. No details are available on the Naka Hindola bridge, which crossed the Ghazi-ud-Din Haider canal; it may have been constructed during the laying of the canal by Nasir-ud-Din Haider. This bridge, however, had a significant role during the freedom struggle of 1857; it was on this very structure that the massacre of Gen Havelock's forces had taken place during the 'Battle of Charbagh' on September 25, 1857. It must be pointed out, however, that these smaller bridges, which continue to bear the load of present-day traffic, were not across rivers but over streams, or more correctly drains, which tended to flood during monsoons, causing inconvenience to the public. PC Sarkar, a former scientist, has authored several books on the forgotten heritage of Lucknow...